


visiting hours

by kingsoup



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: M/M, because theyre too emotionally constipated to straight out say it, it is 2017 what i am /doing/, medical related but very little reference to medical trauma, not really fluff not really angst just general guys being dudes, reference to medication and bad habits but shits tame, worrying about each others health and well being
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-06
Updated: 2017-03-06
Packaged: 2018-09-28 16:42:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10139282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kingsoup/pseuds/kingsoup
Summary: It is three in the morning and no one really wants to tell Newton that Hermann got caught up in an accident while he was away (but, of course he finds out, and of course he makes a scene because of it.)





	

        Newt had been out of the country when it happened, examining and selecting Kaiju remains to bring back with him to study. A fire had started and Hermann was unlucky enough to have been caught in it. No one mentioned it at the time, but everyone had thought: if Newt had been there, between three good legs, Hermann might have been able to make it out with less burns.

 

        The damage done wasn’t by any means horrific, but it was enough to keep Hermann in the medical ward for a couple of nights. His burns were first degree, meaning they would take under a week to heal, but his good leg had suffered the worst, making it impossible to walk anywhere. This left him no where to escape when the doctors berated him for his poor treatment of his body. He muttered remarks in German he knew Newt would laugh at or at least understand when they commented on his _minor_ addictions. Despite knowing they meant him well, he couldn’t help but feel irritated at their comments. He tried not to dwell on his lack of company for long, and picked up a book for the time being. At first the lack of background chatter got to him. When he was in the lab he was at least able to focus on solving things long enough to forget how quiet it was. In the hospital room it was much harder to ignore the fact that he was undoubtedly alone for the first time in a long time. In attempts to choke his own feelings, he convinced himself his irritability was due to the medical wing's no smoking policy, and not from being on his own. He wasn't a child, he reminded himself - he didn't need Newt's company, and he _definitely_  wasn't counting down the hours until Newt's arrival.

 

        Newt wasn’t informed of the accident until shortly after arriving back at the shatterdome, as per request of Hermann. They had been working together long enough by then for Hermann to know that telling Newt there had been a fire leaving his colleague injured could cause some sort of outburst by the biologist. Of course, that meant when he did find out he was outraged he wasn’t informed sooner. 

 

        Newt’s flight landed around one in the morning, and by the time Newt and his various luggage were in the shatterdome it was creeping up to three in the morning. The few people awake to greet him nodded tiredly through his elaborate explanations of what he found, which he appreciated as he knew even if they didn’t care he wouldn’t be able to stop himself. Whenever he mentioned Hermann (which Newt denies he does, even when everyone knows otherwise) people would duck their heads and reply they didn’t know where he was at the moment. Others would try and get Newt to just go back to his room and rest until the next morning but in his current state sleep wasn’t an option. Instead, Newt decided to make his way back to the lab, excited to get to work. 

 

        Halfway there, damage to a hallway and the rooms near it caught Newt's eye and he made a sharp turn to go investigate. After some discussion and prying, he finally found some unfortunate worker who would talk to him about what happened.

 

        “Ah, Dr. Geiszler, I see you’re back from Sydney.” The weary looking working commented as Newt searched around. Most of the workers looked a bit tired when Newt tried to talk to them but he took it in good stride, much more interested in what had happened.

        “Yeah, it’s absolutely dead around here though, which I guess I should’ve expected because, duh, people actually sleep.” Newt starts off and laughs awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck when he sees the strained look on the workers face. They're both tired, but the worker is probably much more tired, so Newt doesn't take it personally.

       “Hey, you wouldn’t happen to know what is going on here, would you? This hallway looks like an absolute wreck.” 

        “Ah, well there was a fire-“ The worker responds before being cut off by Newt, wide eyed and a little more excited than he should be.

        “What, holy shit, why, I mean - what happened? Was anyone hurt? What caused it? Aw man, there was the only half decent coffee machine in here; I bet it is wrecked.” Waiting for Newt to stop, the worker sighed then spoke again.

       “We aren’t sure what happened yet; we don’t think it was anything man made, most likely a malfunction of some sort. It happened a day ago and there was only a couple of people around when it happened because it was so early in the morning.” 

        “I guess it is a good thing the only people who are stupid enough to be up so early in the morning most of the time are me and Hermann,” Newt begins before a startling realization forms on his face. The worker looks panicked and before they can say anything else anxiety rises in Newt's chest as he licks his lips and asks his question. 

        “You said there was a few people around, who were they?” The worker mumbles through a response that starts with 'I'm sure he is okay,' indicating to Newt that his anxiety is justified and he darts off to the infirmary without as much as a goodbye.  _One day,_ Newt thinks to himself as he rushes down the hallways,  _I was gone for one day and Hermann nearly dies._  In hindsight, Newton realizes that they both nearly die on a regular basis with their current situation, but this time feels much more personal. The entire way there he grumbles about not being told, about how inconsiderate it is that they would just leave him in the dark about it, about how much of an inconvenience it is to have to go check on Hermann, and anything else he can think of that would turn his persistent feelings of worry into anger. Each step he took, a knot twisted deeper inside of him until his knuckles ached from clenching and unclenching his fists. He remembers a comment he had heard Mako pass to Tendo one lunch after seeing Hermann and Newton spitting insults at each other over something stupid Newton had done.  _It is easier to be angry than it is to be worried, because if you are worried, it means you care, and sometimes it is scary to know that you care._

 

        The medical ward is only open to visitors during the day, and while Newton is aware of this, he is determined he will make it through regardless. Knowing his anxiety will eat him alive if he doesn't at least _see_ Hermann, he heads straight for the corridor leading to the patient's rooms. He is stopped almost immediately. All the staff look like they were warned this would happen and he finds out later that they actually were which makes him laugh at the thought, and wishes he hadn't been so caught up in himself at the time so he could have appreciated the humor of it. Instead, he feels his hands twitch as one nurse steps in front of Newt, causing him to almost crash right into the woman. Persistence and fear running through his veins, Newt tries to sidestep the nurse before she grabs Newt by the arm and calmly but sternly speaks to Newt. He doesn't make eye contact, instead trying to peer pass her, hoping to see another route. 

        “Dr. Geiszler, I regret to inform you but visiting hours are over.” Newt looks up and rolls his eyes as he retracts his arm from the nurse’s grip.

        “Yeah, Okay, but you know me and I know you’ve got Dr. Gottlieb in there so we could make this easier on all of us and just let me through.” Looking as if he is going to try and rush past again, the nurse pushes Newt gently towards the exit and speaks once more.

        “Dr. Geiszler, unless you are a family member or a relative, you can’t visit anyone right now. Go to sleep and visit your friend in the morning.” She lingers on the word friend, but Newton misses it. Impatient and growing restless, Newt begins to bounce slightly on foot to foot. He grabs at his wrist and begins to dig into his skin with his nails in efforts to stabilize himself slightly and remind himself that the fire has already happened, there is no need to rush anymore, but he can't seem to focus on anything but moving past her.

        “We both know that rule is bullshit though,” Newton exclaims a bit too quickly as the nurse furrows her eyebrows. “This isn’t a real hospital - we don’t have to pretend that it is by following some shit rule about who can visit when.” As he speaks, Newton becomes more and more painfully aware of just how anxious he is and berates himself for getting emotional over something stupid like this. But every time he tells himself to just walk away, that Hermann probably doesn’t want to see him right now anyways, that he isn’t even going to accomplish anything by barging his way in there, he can’t help but think how much he would hate to be in a hospital room alone. He doesn’t need to guess what that feels like, and even if Hermann would never admit it, he knows Hermann doesn’t really like silence all the time. 

        “The validity of our establishment doesn’t change the fact that our _rules_ say we can’t let you in right now.” Newton digs into his arms harder and breathes out sharply through his nose before barking back a response.

        “It is three in the morning; no one gives a shit about rules right now!” He shouts and watches the nurse cringe at the beginning of what could very well be another one of his fits. Newton and Hermann weren’t disliked by any stretch in the shatterdome, but they were proceeded with caution by almost everyone there, because some way or another everyone knew about their explosive habits. 

        “Just because me and Hermann aren’t related or whatever doesn’t mean I don’t care enough to be able to see him right now. What kind of fucked up rule is that anyways? Why does his father get to see him right now when I know for a fact he doesn’t give two shits about Hermann, but I can’t even stop by to say hello and make sure he is still breathing?” The nurse looks him in the eye with sympathy. She knows what he won't say. She knows he wants to say  _please, I love him, I'm worried, just let me see him_. She knows as well as everyone else, but Newton doesn't say anymore and so she replies as gently as she can. 

        “I can assure, Dr. Gottlieb is still breathing so if you would please-“ the nurse responds before a voice behind Newt cuts them off. 

        “Miss, please.” Newt whirls around to see Hercules Hansen looking tired as always, but slightly amused. Normally Newton would be eager to greet him and tell him about things he wouldn’t even understand, but seeing Hermann keeps playing over and over again in his mind. “Let the poor man see his colleague before he punches his way through.”

        Herc gestures to Newton and the Nurse pinches the bridge of her nose before stepping aside. Quick to move before someone else can stop him, Newt rushes past as he hears Herc yell after him.

        “Newton!” 

        “Yeah?” Newt replies as he half jogs down the hallway and looks over his shoulder.

       “Marry the man for christ’s sake - it will be easier in the long run.” Normally Newt would have something to yell back but for the moment he doesn’t care, so he laughs instead.

 

        Hermann was still trying to read when he hears yelling down the hallway. He groans only to assume the worst: someone had slipped up and let Newt know what had happened. A tinge of relief bubbles in his chest but he dismisses it as he puts down the book on the stand beside his bed. Next, he tries to move his legs but hisses in pain, quickly giving up on the idea that he would simply get up and set things straight himself. When the door swings open to reveal Newton looking a mix of more emotions than Hermann thinks he can feel in a life time, Hermann almost smiles. 

        “Why didn’t you tell me you were nearly set on _fire?_ ” Newt blurts out as he stands in the door way and he actually _does_ smile, but scoffs shortly after in an attempt to hide it. 

        “Don’t be so dramatic. I wasn’t nearly set on fire I was merely caught up in one. Besides, what on earth would you have done if you had known - flown back here yourself?” The shorter catches his tongue on that statement for a moment, realizing there really wasn’t much he could have done, but remains frustrated that he didn't know any sooner none the less. His frustration is subdued by the relief of seeing Hermann in a much better state than he anticipated, and knows that making a fool of himself earlier on was worth it.

        “It would have been better than finding out just before I was going to go to bed. I had to run all the way over here and yell at some tired, underpaid nurse instead of getting my well deserved rest because of you.” He huffs as he walks towards the seat at the side of the bed. Herman merely rolls his eyes to this, knowing there was no way that Newt was actually going to bed at this hour. Despite this, he savours the fact that Newton came running all the way over here as soon as he found out.

        “No one asked you to come.” Hermann retorts with insincere malice, before holding his attention on the circles under Newton’s eyes. He wonder if he looks just as weary. He wonders if maybe Newton really should have gone to bed instead, but is snapped back to reality as Newton eases into the chair beside him and finally stops grabbing at his own hand. 

        “Yeah, sure, but you’re glad that I did.” This is said with a grin, hiding the faintest bit of worry behind it. Hermann was sincerely glad, but both of them knew he would never say it. This was okay. Instead, he changes the subject.

        “How did you manage to find your way in here in the first place?” Newton lights up a bit and Hermann decides to get comfortable, knowing that Newton is going to launch full speed into a story. 

        “Oh that was no big deal, I just had to yell at some people and promise Herc I’d propose to you. But you did just remind me that I have a story to tell you and dude you are not going to _believe_ this.” Hermann snorts at this and watches Newt push up the sleeves on his shirt. As he does, he thinks about how it is going to be a pain to work with all these burns, how badly he wants a cigarette, how restless he is that he isn’t working right now, and how desperately he wants to sleep. He thinks about how quiet it was before Newt arrived and how boring it was without him. He thinks about all the things he wants to say to Newt about how grateful he is that he isn’t sitting here alone, in pain, and craving something else now that Newt is here, but instead of saying any of that he stays quiet. Switching between watching Newts hands wave wildly around and all the different emotions that splay across his face as he tells the story, Hermann listens while making a quip here and there to keep Newt on his toes. Years later Hermann does tell Newt all of those things he thought about as Newt told his story, and Newt makes fun of him for being so emotionally stunted but kisses his knuckles none the less, as a way of saying _you know I’d never let you suffer through pain alone._

**Author's Note:**

> i plan on writing more fics abt this but just in case i dont: i headcannon that hermann has some sort of stress addiction (in this case its smoking) and newt is moody and they both are generally bad at taking care of their bodies bc they cant be bothered to when its the end of the world  
> (basically im just projecting onto my favs again)  
> this is supposed to be read as Pre Relationship and somewhere like three years into their career together and the situation is essentially: they both have feelings for each other and literally everyone knows it but Newt refuses to confess bc he isnt sure if hermann likes him yet and he is terrified of being in a Proper Relationship and hermann knows newt likes him but isnt sure of his own feelings so they just keep as emotionally distant as they can be when theyre lowkey in love with each other
> 
> anyways i tried to keep this as In Character as i could but this is my first time writing fanfiction ever and its like 330am on a school night so this is as good as its going to get lmao


End file.
